1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to techniques for locating a target object which call for the use of radiation which is emitted in the direction of the object and detected after back-reflection from this latter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The highest standards of accuracy are at present achieved by means of radiations of the laser type. Depending on requirements, a locating operation of the above-mentioned type can prove useful either for measuring the distance of the object according to the time taken by the radiation to travel the distance from the emitting source to the object and from the object to the detection system or for determining the angular position of the object with respect to a reference direction, or alternatively for controlling a number of different functions related to the presence of such an object in the field of view in a more complex equipment unit.
In order to gain a precise idea of these possibilities, reference may be made more specifically to applications in the field of firing simulation in order to determine whether the located object constituting the target would or would not have been hit by a real shot corresponding to the same characteristics as the simulated shot. In this sphere of application, it is common practice to employ laser radiation for locating the target in angular position with respect to a reference axis and if necessary for determining its distance. It is also known to impart a scanning movement of small amplitude to the detecting laser beam. This scanning motion has the effect of maintaining the beam "locked" on the target during displacements of this latter.